Demons
by ofthehallows
Summary: (This takes place after the Tartaros arc in FT) While everyone is searching through the rubble of FACE Rogue comes upon an injured female Dragon Slayer, who seems to have been experimented on by the demon guild, and brings her to safety. The mages thought the trouble had ended with the defeat of Tartaros, but little do they know Acnologia will soon return with a new target in mind.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all, ofthehallows here with chapter 1 of my first uploaded fanfic! This story will definitely be more than a few chapters, so gear up and get ready :D Anyway, this story takes place after the Tartaros arc in the manga and is a Rogue X OC, but it includes, NaLu, GaLe, Gruvia, Jerza, Miraxus, etc. I hope you enjoy **

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, it belongs to Hiro Mashima! If I did, I would have gotten Lucy and Natsu together already DAMMIT! Lol, or at least Jellal and Erza. I mean, I wanted to murder Jellal when he decided NOT to kiss Erza in that chapter. I was sooooo mad. Well, Trollshima will troll I guess.**

**FYI: Katja's nickname is "Kate", just do you don't get confused!**

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><p>It has been exactly one hour since the destruction of F.A.C.E., and the defeat of Tartaros. The gathering power of the F.A.C.E. project was so great, it even caught the attention of Acnologia himself, and brought him into the battle. It was a miracle when Igneel materialized to combat him, because most of the mages would have died if Acnologia managed to destroy F.A.C.E. himself. The Chaos Dragon unfortunately escaped after getting a sound beating from Igneel, whom destroyed the book E.N.D. after the battle by incinerating the damn thing.<p>

It is strange to think a simple object, such as a book, could bring about such chaos and nearly destroy the world if it happened to be placed in the wrong hands.

After E.N.D was destroyed along with the F.A.C.E. project, everything fell into ruin. The already destroyed Tartaros headquarters was practically buried underneath all of the crumbling F.A.C.E. pillars in the immediate area. The earth shook in the process. After the dust cleared, everyone who wasn't severely injured or incapacitated began to sift through the rubble in order to search for any remaining survivors.

Meanwhile, Igneel and Natsu were currently having a much needed family reunion, and were talking merrily while they helped in the search. You wouldn't normally think a Dragon would be incredibly useful when looking for buried people, but he and Natsu have probably saved twenty lives in the short amount of time they've been searching. Lucy teamed up with Levy and ten others, who were currently farther away digging up piles of rock in hope of finding anything, or anyone, to salvage.

On the other side of the perimeter, Rogue and Sting were helping and injured Minerva make it back across the mile-long dead zone to the other mages, all the while keeping an eye out for others in need of help. When they heard earlier that Natsu had managed to defeat the King of Hades, all three of them were stunned into silence, but they already knew he was pretty good went it came to pulling through in losing battles. However, Sting had a lot to say when he got over the initial shock that came with the news of victory.

"Jesus fucking Christ! How in the hell am I gonna keep up with that guy!? We're over here getting our asses beat by one dude, when he comes out swinging like a fucking machine after _hours_ of this shit!"

Yeah. Sting was still sore over their loss in the Grand Magic Games, but Rogue knows he continues to admire Natsu more than anyone else in existence at the moment. Rogue was in the middle of sighing to himself when sensed something peculiar in the wind, he turned to listen intently.

"_Help…" _It was barely audible, but Rogue heard it well enough to know he wasn't hallucinating from exhaustion.

"Sting, did you hear that?"

Sting, who was still ranting about Natsu, halted in his speech and gave him a strange look.

"Hear what? Somethin' wrong?" Obviously Sting was too busy complaining to have herd it, but Rogue knew he wasn't going nuts.

"_Help..."_

There it was again. It wasn't so much of a vocalization, as it was a thought traveling on the wind. Rogue could tell it was coming from not too far a ways directly perpendicular to their current location, and since it could be a survivor, he decided it would be a good idea to check it out.

"Sting, take Minerva and keep going. I'll catch up with you later."

Sting gave him a questioning look, but stopped walking to shift Minerva's weight fully onto himself so Rogue could move freely.

"Ok, but where are you going exactly?" Sting was eying Rogue suspiciously, but not in accusation. Rogue didn't reply, but instead looked in the direction where he last heard the noise, trying to pinpoint its exact location.

"I need to check something out, go on ahead."

He didn't want Minerva to be left with her injuries too long due to their severity and he knew he could trust Sting to get her back to civilization safely, so he figured it would be best if those two kept moving. Sting nodded and continued walking, knowing Rogue wouldn't leave them without an acceptable reason.

"Alright, be careful."

Rogue nodded at his friend and stayed planted in that spot until he could barely see them in the distance. After which, he wasted no time heading in the direction of the voice he had picked up earlier. It was not too far away, but according to his honed senses it seemed to be coming from the other side of an enormous mountain of rubble in the distance.

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><p>As Rogue got closer to the location he had determined to be the source of the noise, he began to pick up certain scents; blood, lots of blood. And fear. He was cautious in his approach, for he had no idea whether he would encounter an ally or an enemy. Slowly, he peered around the mountain to survey the area. At first he didn't see anything, but he was able to clearly hear somebody shouting from across the debris, so he listened intently. Rogue could make outa high-pitched feminine voice, along with someone breathing raggedly about ten meters away.<p>

"Katja please stop! It's okay now, they're gone!"

The owner of the high pitched voice seemed to be pleading with the second person in the clearing, who is clearly the source of the metallic scent coming in waves from the area. Rogue could also acutely pinpoint the source of fear, which appeared to be coming from the same person who smelled of blood. He decided now would be a good time to move from his spot and quietly enter the clearing, but what he saw took a few moments for his mind to process.

In the middle of the rubble sat a purple cat who was contained in a tiny metal cage. Rogue realized at this point that she was an Exceed, and the source of the voice he heard moments ago shouting towards the other person. Next, he shifted his gaze towards the figure standing, more like slouching, about twenty feet away.

She was tall for a woman, a few inches under six feet, with a curly mop of blonde hair that was stained red in parts by blood, but that wasn't what caught his attention. She was injured, heavily. Very large and peculiar circular wounds covered her arms and legs, and there were probably more on her abdomen being hidden by what looked like a filthy sorry-excuse for a pillow case. Rogue was about to approach her, when he was hit with an onslaught of thoughts coming from the girl directly ahead of him. She kept repeating the word "help" in her mind over, and over to the point where he nearly had to cover his ears to block out the noise. Rogue started moving towards the woman, and the Exceed began crying out to her again shortly after.

"You need to calm down Kate! Can you hear me!? Please stop, there is no one left to hurt us!" The purple cat began to cry as she desperately tried to reach her friend, and it was only then she took notice of Rogue inching closer to the blonde woman.

"No! Stay back! Don't get any closer, she'll kill you!" she screamed.

Rogue was worried as to why this Exceed was telling him to get away from her for his own safety, but he couldn't just leave them both there, especially the wounded girl whom the Exceed calls "Katja".

"It's alright, you're safe," he shouted to the purple cat. "I'm here to help you, what is her name?" he asked, referring to the woman.

The Exceed replied that her name is, in fact, Katja, but there was something weird about Katja. Upon getting close enough, he realized that her pupils were dilated to the point where he could barely make out the whites of her eyes, and that was _never_ a good sign. Rogue could also spot what appeared to be clear crystalline scales partially covering her face and forearms, accompanied by a large clear stone that was planted in the middle of her forehead. He was slightly baffled, considering her scales seemed eerily similar to those that appeared during "Dragon Force", and became concerned about how she could possess such attributes otherwise.

However, before Rogue could say anything to her, Katja seemed to take notice of his presence as her body noticeably stiffened. Rogue stood absolutely still for about a minute, so as not to frighten her while she was in her current state. It was after a few moments passed when she began to speak in a deep feminine voice;

"_Daiyaryuu no…" _

Rogue couldn't find the will to move as she began uttering the spell, and the only thing he heard was the Exceed cry out in alarm, "Katja, no! Don't!"

"_Shell!" _Katja exclaimed, concluding the spell while he braced himself for the attack.

Nothing happened as Rogue waited to feel some sort of impact, only a sudden glassy sound was heard from somewhere behind him. He didn't move for a good thirty seconds out of caution, but then turned around slowly to see what had happened. His eyes widened immensely at what met his vision a few feet away, and it would appear in his dreams for weeks to come.

There was a figure who seemed to be a faceless minion of Tartaros, holding a wicked-looking knife above its head, but completely incased in what he _thought_ was ice. Upon touching it however, Rogue found that it was not cold in the slightest, but instead was some sort of crystalline structure created by Katja. _Wait,_ he thought, _Daiyaryuu…_ and then reeled at the notion that this woman is a Dragon Slayer, and of _Diamond_ no less. He realized immediately afterwards that she just saved him from being stabbed in the back, by incasing the bastard in _diamond_. But Rogue didn't have time to ponder the matter further, because he was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt an impact on the ground near his feet, and the purple Exceed started to scream.

Rogue turned to see that she was out cold, and bleeding on the ground in front of him. The black-haired Dragon Slayer quickly knelt down to survey the damage done to her body when he noticed how heavily she was breathing, well, more like wheezing. He also noticed that the scales and the large gem on her forehead had disappeared completely, only leaving scars and fresh wounds on her sickly pale skin.

At this point Rogue decided he didn't have the time to waste here, when he should be getting her back to camp where she could get some serious medical attention from Wendy and Porlyusica. He quickly went and broke the lock on the Exceed's cage, who flew over and pawed at Katja's face while calling her name, in a frantic gesture to see if she would respond. Only, the cat began to cry and hyperventilate when Katja didn't even so much as twitch. Rogue sighed and went over to calm the Exceed enough in order to help him hoist Katja onto his back, all the while being mindful of her wounds which continued oozing blood.

Katja was slightly heavy due to the large amount of muscle she possessed combined with her tallness, but he could carry her well enough on his back. Rogue noticed that he could feel both of her hip bones poking into his back while they walked, leading him to believe she had been nearly starving for a while. The purple Exceed, whom he now knew as "Eve", seemed to be in good enough health to possess the required energy to fly next to him for the majority of the walk back, which took about an hour. Eve was helpful in ways of keeping an eye on Katja and moving hair out of his face so that he could see, because he lost his hair tie some time ago during the previous battle.

Near the end of their trek Eve lost the energy to fly, so she spent the last ten minutes clinging to the top of his head while good naturedly, albeit annoyingly, pleading with him to hurry.

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><p>The three of them made it back to the make-shift camp just as the sun began to set, and Rogue was about ready to collapse. Their journey probably wouldn't have taken such a toll on him if he didn't have to consistently climb over piles of debris blocking the way, and it didn't help that Katja was a literal deadweight while unconscious.<p>

Rogue looked around as he trudged further into the grounds, and after a minute he caught sight of Sting casually flipping his dagger while talking to some female mage he can't remember the name of. Moments later Sting turned his head and started walking towards their little group.

"Rogue, where the hell have you been man? And who the hell are they?"

Sting leaned to the side trying to get a better look at the person on his back. Rogue gave him an annoyed look out of fatigue.

"I'll fill you in later Sting, where are Porlyusica and Wendy? I really need them to come out here."

Sting shot him an unamused look, but then turned and began shouting obnoxiously.

"PORLYUSICA! WENDY! MY OH-SO-SERIOUS FRIEND NEEDS YOUR HELP OVER HERE! There, happy?"

Rogue could feel a vein in his temple pulse and was seriously considering punching Sting in his stupid smirking face, but he was interrupted when he saw the two healers come out of a tent and start towards him at quite a clip. Wendy made it to him before Porlyusica by a few moments, but stopped dead when she spotted the purple Exceed that was currently occupying the top of his head. Her eyes were larger than normal as she eyed the strangely-colored cat, and Rogue was starting to feel uncomfortable under her gaze. Lucky for him, Porlyusica came to his rescue when she pushed Sting out of the way and accidentally bumped Wendy's shoulder in her haste, bringing the young mage out of her daze.

"Who have you found? Quickly boy! Let me see…"

Porlyusica was in complete nurse mode. Nobody who valued their lives dared to get in her way while she was in this state. Rogue turned slightly in order to make Katja visible to the two females, as well as begin removing her from his back while he started informing them of what he knew.

"Her name is Katja. I found her and this Exceed about a mile from here while we were making our way with Minerva earlier. I have no idea what happened, but she was disoriented and has some strange injuries that severely need attention."

After he handed Katja off to Porlyusica and a third mage that came to help, he gently pried Eve off of his head and held her in out to Wendy.

"This Exceed seems to be close to the girl, she'll tell you what you need to know."

But when Wendy reached out to take Eve, the purple cat hissed at her in fear. Wendy recoiled a bit, but then gave her a kind smile and calmly coaxed her into her arms. "It's alright now. Why don't you come with me and we'll go see to your friend." Eve kept her body stiff for a few moments, but gradually relaxed, after which she agreed to go with the petite Dragon Slayer.

After they both disappeared into the make-shift Med station, Rogue walked over to the camp's edge and collapsed onto a log where he could finally relax.

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><p><strong>Hey guys, thanks for checking out my first Fanfic! I'll update a soon as possible, but I'm currently at college so it may not be consistent. Not to say updates will be far apart, they just might be a couple chapters one day, maybe none for a few days, etc.<strong>

**Anyway, reviews are always appreciated! I would love to hear your opinions or suggestions, so don't be shy!**

**Thanks!**

**~ofthehallows**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all, ofthehallows here with Chapter 2! I apologize for the crap format of chapter 1, the file didn't transfer over very well from Word and I forgot to check it before publishing. Ah well, I'll make sure this one comes out better.**

**Note: Katja's name is pronounced (Kah-tee-ya), just for reference.**

**DISCLAIMER: Of course I don't own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima (the biggest troll to ever live).**

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><p>Rogue hadn't realized how tired his body was until he actually got off his feet; his muscles sang in relief when he finally let them relax. He realized quickly that for the first time in a while, there wasn't anybody around who required his immediate attention. Not that Rogue dislikes people, but since he and Sting assumed leadership over Saber Tooth there has always been one guild member or another occupying his time with trivial matters. The battle against Tartaros and retrieving Minerva also consumed a large amount of his energy that he had not yet recovered.<p>

His thoughts drifted towards the events that occurred in the past few hours following the defeat of Tartaros; namely towards the girl he found amongst the decimated structure that once stood as the demon guild's headquarters. Memories of Katja's ragged appearance came to Rogue's mind as he recalled their unusual encounter. What was she doing there? Why was she injured so heavily? All of these questions plagued his thoughts while he continued to ponder the subject. Katja's blonde curly hair was cut short so that it barely touched her shoulders- it was unnaturally darkened by the amount of dirt and grime matting it down. Her arms and legs were covered in large circular wounds that continuously oozed blood, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what had caused them. Rogue became uneasy when he thought of how her eyes looked at the time; her pupils were dilated to the point where he couldn't make out the color of her irises, and seeing something like that first-hand was unnerving to say the least.

He was thankful Eve was present during the whole ordeal, or he might not have been able to even get close to the woman while she was in that state. She reeked of blood and fear, which explains her extreme form of self-defense, but he hadn't a clue what Katja felt threatened by at the time. Rogue still didn't know who she was, from where she came, or any details besides her name; he needed answers. Rogue then decided that when she wakes up, _if _she wakes up, he will definitely ask her to explain what happened and where she came from. Katja was unconscious the last time Rogue saw her, and he hoped that she would get enough rest in order to make the trip back to Magnolia in the coming days.

Concluding that thought, Rogue decided to drop the subject because mulling it over in his head only served to fuel his curiosity. His muscles twitched with fatigue as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position on the log, but gave up after a while and ended up sitting against the thing. A short while later, sleep began to consume him despite how hard he fought the exhaustion.

In the moments following, Rogue began to dream; he saw a world of discolor, consisting of reds, purples and blacks. The ground where he stood was covered in dead grass, tainted red by what he suspected to be blood. Was he afraid? No. Why, you might ask? Well, let's just say Rogue is well accustomed to dreams of such likeness. Ever since he assisted Skiadrum in his own death, Rogue's subconscious has taken to punishing him through means of frequent nightmares. He knew there would be no waking himself from this dream; the only thing Rogue could do was let it run its course.

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><p>Wendy and Porlyusica were swamped with injured mages from the battle that occurred a few hours ago. The worst of them; Erza, Mirajane, Minerva and the strange girl whom Rogue brought to camp just now, were currently being housed inside the small medical tent. The new girl was taller and heavier than either of them, so it took some effort to lift her unconscious form onto a make-shift bed. Once they placed her on one of the cots, Wendy and Porlyusica set to work removing the filthy cloth that barely covered the blonde woman's body. They layered thick strips of cotton over her large breasts and lower abdomen so her wounds would be accessibly for cleaning and treatment. This girl, Katja, had wounds of which the elder woman had never seen the likes before; covering her arms, legs, and abdomen were quarter-sized holes placed in lines trailing down her body. They were much too large to be from needles, and too uniform to be from bullets; the pattern in which the wounds were placed indicated that some sort of objects once protruded from them.<p>

After Porlyusica and Wendy had cleaned and wrapped the visible wounds on the front side of Katja's form, they carefully maneuvered her into a sitting position to examine her back. Upon getting into closer proximity with the Katja, Wendy immediately noticed the subtle scent of dragon she possessed under the layer of blood that was currently covering the skin of her back.

"Madam Porlyusica-" She started, but was cut off.

"I know, child…"

Porlyusica wasn't looking at her, but Wendy could tell that her teacher was puzzled by the tone in which she spoke. Not one of the current Dragon slayers (except for Natsu now that Igneel has returned), smells even remotely of dragon nowadays. Katja did not smell of fire and smoke like Natsu or Igneel however, but maybe a dragon closer to the Earth element; under the dried blood she smelled of clay and crisp, autumn air that carries the scent of an approaching winter.

Wendy was brought out of her thoughts when Porlyusica let out an audible gasp; there, in the dead center of Katja's back was the blood-red mark of Tartaros. She began to stiffen in alarm, but halted when Porlyusica answered her unvoiced question.

"Fear not, this girl is definitely human. However, it is puzzling that she possesses that demon guild's branding…"

After Porlyusica spoke, they dropped the topic and continued providing medical attention for the unconscious woman. They found the strange wounds all down her spine as well, which brought an even more concerned look onto Porlyusica's face. Wendy held Katja stationary in a sitting position while her mentor continued cleaning and wrapping her wounds; they also cleaned as much blood from her skin as they could, but there was nothing to be done about her mess of hair with their current accommodations. Porlyusica decided it would be a good idea to take a sample of her blood for testing and examination, therefore she quickly took a syringe and completed the task within five minutes.

Once they had finished and slipped a simple cotton dress over Katja's head, Wendy and Porlyusica left to give first-aid to the other less-severe cases waiting in the outside clearing.

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><p>[The next day]<p>

Katja slowly opened her eyes after what felt like years. Pain circulated throughout her limbs and mid-section as she clenched her fingers and toes, but didn't move otherwise while she tried to register her surroundings. Multiple colors invaded Katja's vision as her eyes adjusted to the light, and according the brightness it seemed to be… Midday? Morning? She didn't know. It felt like centuries had passed since she had seen daylight, and all of these colors nearly made her eyes tear up in their brilliance.

Cautiously, she began to move her legs over the cot so as to maneuver herself into a sitting position. The previous pain intensified immediately; going from a throbbing sensation to a full out stab in places all over her body. Wincing, Katja slowly got to her feet, but had to grab onto the cot rail in order to keep her shaking legs from buckling under her. _Damn it, _she silently cursed as a sudden wave of nausea swept over her, making her vision blur with effort while trying not to vomit. Raising a hand to sweep her matted locks away from her face, Katja stopped half way when she noticed the bandages covering most of her appendages. She then looked down to see a clean, short dress had replaced the horrendous piece of cloth she remembered wearing. Due to her height it only reached mid-thigh, allowing her to view the bruises that speckled her legs in places not concealed by bandages. Grimacing at the sight, she continued to inspect the exposed skin while assessing the damage done to her body, where she found injuries appeared to cover the majority of it.

After completing the task, Katja looked up and came to realize that she had no idea where she was. The whole space was very tidy and smelled of rubbing alcohol, which made her nose burn upon inhaling. Light streamed into the area courtesy of the ajar tent flap next to the cot she occupied, and the breeze coming through was fresh, but tinted with the scent of wood smoke. She felt uneasy; not because she sensed danger, but the fact that everything was so _clean _made her feel like she was dirtying the place. Her hair was filthy and absolutely _reeked_ of what could be a mix of multiple foul things. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything to alleviate the situation at the moment.

Katja gingerly lifted her arms so that she could run her fingers through the mangled locks, but became annoyed when the curls couldn't be tamed. The mess that was her hair would take _forever_ to brush out, and just getting it clean again would be an event in itself. God, she could only imagine the amount of fuss that Eve would... She halted mid-thought in realization.

_Eve. _

She spun around and quickly surveyed the area inside the tent, completely ignoring her body's protests in the process only to find that the purple Exceed was nowhere to be found. It wasn't even possible to get a hint of Eve's scent with the overwhelming odor of rubbing alcohol assaulting her senses. Katja had no idea where she was, how she got here, or even who she'd be dealing with. Were these people mages, regular citizens, or (god forbid) demons? Demons. She knew demons in ways she wished she didn't, and they were not pleasant in the slightest.

_All those months,_ she thought, _how? _In that moment, panic hit her like a ton of bricks. _Where am I? What's going on? Where's Eve? Where is Eve? WHERE IS EVE?! Oh god, oh god, oh god… _

She was doing everything possible not to completely lose her mind, but the sudden onslaught of thoughts and worst-case scenarios weren't helping her anxiety. Katja was about to exit the tent and search for her friend, but stiffened when she heard something move a short distance from her hiding place.

"Hey watch it Flame Brain, I don't want to catch your stupid…" a male voice spoke while passing the tent, and another interjected while heading in the same direction.

"Fuck off Ice Princess!" The two men stopped not far from the tent to continue their banter. Katja decided that she would not dare to move until they both left the immediate proximity; however, they continued their childish argument for another five minutes before moving onto a more serious topic. She had zoned out for most of their bickering, but snapped back into reality when the first figure made a comment that caught her attention.

"Yeah man, Deliora was crazy powerful. Even though they're all from the Book of Zeref, he's _nothing_ compared to Tartaros and Mard Geer…" The names of those forsaken beings sent tremors of rage throughout her body, and she could feel her pulse quickening with adrenaline.

_Deliora, _she thought with rising hostility, _Mard Geer, Tartaros… Eve. They know. _There was no stopping Katja's vision from tinting red as fury seized control of her mind.

She lost it.

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><p>Rogue jolted awake as his nightmare came to an end, nearly falling over sideways due to the sudden movement. The dream had been a strange one, but that wasn't unusual to say the least. A twinge of pain from his back, which was stiff from leaning against the log all night, made him groan in annoyance. Looking up, he saw that the sky was a brilliant blue, instead of the orange that he recalled falling asleep to. He realized that it must be at least noon by now if not later, and should probably go find Frosch since he neglected to speak the Exceed before wandering over to his current location.<p>

Getting to his feet, Rogue briefly stretched his weary muscles and began making his way towards the campsite. His stomach growled loudly as he realized that he forgot to eat after arriving the previous day, and hunger didn't have a beneficial effect on his mood. Despite his demeanor, Rogue enjoyed a large meal just like any other Dragon Slayer. It was decided; food would be his first priority _only _after finding Frosch.

The clearing was within sight, but Rogue stopped in his tracks when he sensed a disturbance that made him suddenly alert. He listened, beginning to hear raised voices and sounds of a struggle as well as a magical presence of immense proportions. Rogue knew something was wrong when he heard multiple people start shouting. Picking up his pace once more, Rogue made it to the edge of the clearing when he was ambushed by a familiar sensation.

'_Where is she? Where is she? Wherewherewherewherewhere…'_

He found these stray thoughts eerily familiar, but decided there wasn't time for him to try and recall where he heard them before. Rogue proceeded to enter the camp's clearing.

There seemed to be a brawl going on in the center of the camp; three figures he knew to be Natsu Dragneel, Elfman Strauss, and Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail were circled around a shorter figure whom he could not clearly see. Rogue looked over a little to the side and saw the Ice-Make mage, Gray Fullbuster, out cold on the ground with what looked like a bloody imprint of a fist on his left cheek. The three male mages began to shift around, as if preparing to intercept an attack. It was then that Gajeel began to speak.

"Whadda ya doin' kid? Comin' out here like a punk, picking fights and shit… We don't even know you."

Gajeel sounded annoyed, but not totally angry. Rogue realized Gajeel was being cautious for reasons he wasn't aware of, but he didn't have time to think when Elfman joined the conversation.

"You have impressive strength, but a _real _man like myself will be able to subdue you!"

"Shut the hell up Elfman, I bet I could take er'! C'mon, show me whatcha got!" Natsu interjected loudly, whilst flames began to crawl up his arms. That guy is always itching for a fight.

_What the hell? _Rogue was confused and annoyed simultaneously, for they were just sparring and making noise per usual. He was about to turn and leave again, when Natsu let out a grunt of pain and was sent flying into the tent Rogue was standing right next to. It made a loud crashing noise as Natsu barreled into the thing, with shouts of alarm coming from whoever was inside. Rogue was about to see if they were alright, when the onslaught of thoughts made contact with his ears once again.

'_Wherewherewherewherewhere…" _

He spun around, suddenly remembering just _why_ this noise was so familiar. Rogue heard Natsu get back up from behind him and watched as he re-entered the clearing, while rubbing the large bruise forming on his arm. His gaze followed the pink-haired mage, but let it continue on to the now-visible figure they were surrounding. Sure enough (as he feared), standing in the clearing having a face-off with Gajeel, Elfman, and Natsu was Katja.

She looked different however; her arms and legs were completely covered with white bandages, and she sported a short, thin dress that must have come from the medical bay. He was relieved that her pupils were no longer dilated, but her eyes were wide with fury as she stared down the challengers. Her hair was still filthy, but Rogue ignored this detail when he picked up the subtle reflective tint of her skin. Katja was also growling menacingly at the remaining men blocking her path. _Like last time, _He thought, and was about to warn the three of them when Gajeel stole his chance.

"All right kid, enough playin'. Don't make me get rough with ya." Gajeel's eyes narrowed as his skin began to turn grey and metallic, summoning his iron scales.

Katja was a large woman; she stood taller than Natsu by a few inches and her whole body was thick with muscle, while still curving femininely. Rogue was worried; not so much for Katja, but for those three who had no idea what powerful magic she possessed. The sheer impenetrability of the "armor" she created was terrifying, making it the ultimate form of defensive magic. Her ability was in likeness to Gajeel's, but he knew the Iron Dragon Slayer would lose if the two engaged in hand-to-hand combat while Katja still adorned her diamond scales.

It was then Rogue heard a snarl from Katja, and it was directed towards Gajeel who looked ready to attack the woman.

"If that's how you wanna play…" Gajeel gave no warning as he rushed towards the girl, aiming to land a punch somewhere on her body.

"Gajeel, WAIT!" Rogue shouted in warning towards the man, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop what happened next.

The Iron mage had appeared quickly in front of Katja, relying on brute strength to land a hit on her. However, she met his punch with equal force, effectively shattering the iron scales covering his right arm, leaving it bear. Taking advantage of his bafflement, she grabbed said arm, not allowing the larger man to put distance between them. Gajeel got a good look at her face in that moment, seeing how she clenched her teeth in rage and her green irises darkened as her hostility grew by the second.

Katja lifted her free arm into the air and the appendage morphed into a beautiful, yet wicked looking blade made of a transparent crystalline material. Nobody, not even Gajeel moved in that instant, they were all mesmerized by the unusual form of magic.

"_Daiyaryuu no…"_ She began to recite, raising her arm higher while she did so.

_Shit, shit, shit! _Rogue thought, _She's going to kill him._

Suddenly, Gajeel snapped to attention. Physically yanking the girl into mid-air, he threw her across the clearing as far away from himself as possible. She landed heavily on all fours, but her arm was no longer that menacing blade it had been just moments ago. Gajeel's eyes were wide as he panted due to the wave of adrenaline, and he had an astonished look on his face.

"You… How the-?" Gajeel was cut off mid-sentence when Katja cut him off.

"_Where is she?" _

Her voice was deep, like Erza's, but rough from misuse. Katja was panting also, and Rogue noticed that her bandages were beginning to stain red from the wounds she reopened during the earlier scuffle with the three men. She didn't seem to be planning another attack, so he to this time to step in. He walked straight into the clearing, planting himself firmly between the two.

"Rogue-" Gajeel began to protest.

"It's fine Gajeel."

"She's not playin' around…"

"I know." Rogue was a man of few words, everybody knew that by now.

"You know…?" Gajeel seemed suspicious, but Rogue didn't have time to explain.

"I'm the one who brought her here."

After that statement Gajeel seemed to back off, allowing Rogue to approach the girl slowly. She didn't move as he came towards her, but her hostile gaze never left his form. He stopped moving about a meter from where she was standing and fixed her with a serious glare.

Rogue thought it best to stay calm when talking to her; Katja was disoriented and exhausted by what he could tell, plus she was self-defensive to a dangerous level according to what he witnessed the day before. He decided to let her make the first move, which she obliged after staring at him for a good thirty seconds.

Katja stepped forward and seized the front of his robe, forcing him to narrow the distance separating them. Rogue was close enough to look down and see that her irises were a deep emerald in color, and that her pupils were ever so slightly slit- like his and Gajeel's, but not to such an extent. He could feel her strength through the grip she had on him, but also how her body trembled with fatigue. Rogue didn't say anything, deciding to let her speak first if she chose to at all. However, he needn't wait long- for she opened her mouth and out came her deep, resonant voice.

"_Where. Is. Eve?"_

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><p><strong>Hey guys, I am SOOO sorry for the late update! I just had midterms here at college all of last week, and gahh they were a pain. <strong>

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it's taking forever for me to get through all of this intro stuff, I swear it'll pick up soon.**

**If you liked this chapter (or didn't) pleas R&R, tell me what you think!**

**~ofthehallows**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey y'all, ofthehallows here, and I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATENESS! I have been sick and also feeling lazy, so I didn't work on this for a good week-and-a-half because I am a worthless person! Anyway, here is another chapter so please enjoy! Also, the manga never specifies the town in which Sabertooth is based, so imma make one up if that's ok. **

**ALSO: If you hate the story, love the story, or anything in-between, PLEASE R&R! They help me to improve the story, while also providing me motivation when I'm feeling lazy :P**

**Disclaimer: My name is NOT Hiro Mashima, thank you very much. The ONLY characters I own are Katja and Eve.**

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><p>"<em>Where. Is. Eve?"<em>

Rogue didn't dare move, especially not while the woman still aggressively held onto his clothing. He could tell she was close to losing consciousness by the way her whole body trembled with fatigued. But just like any Dragon slayer Rogue ever encountered, Katja possessed the same legendary stubbornness; she absolutely _refused_ to relent until she confirmed her friend's safety. He didn't fear this woman in the slightest, but neither was he arrogant enough to think she'd let him live if he presented a threat. Despite her weathered appearance, Rogue sensed the enormous amount of magical energy Katja possessed and he wouldn't be the fool to underestimate her. The only way to avoid further conflict, he decided, is to remain calm.

Suddenly Rogue became conscious of the three mages standing not ten meters away, and how more people gathered since the confrontation began. Gajeel and the others' restlessness ebbed into the atmosphere, creating noticeable tension in the surrounding area. It didn't help at all, considering the last thing he needed was for Katja to react to the stimulus. The other mages just stood at a distance, cautiously observing his interaction with the new-comer. Frankly, it surprised him to see Sting calmly watching amongst the crowd with a smirk on his face, instead of yelling obnoxiously per usual.

_Damn it_, he thought, _that idiot is enjoying this. _Just because Sting _happened_ to hold the position of his best friend (aside from Frosch), doesn't mean he condoned the guy being a prick.

Huffing in annoyance, Rogue turned his attention back to the battered woman, whom still held tightly onto his robe. He decided it would be a good idea to respond to her earlier question before she decided to punch his lights out. Rogue had actually forgotten about Eve, mostly because he hadn't seen her since the previous day.

"The Exceed, right?"

Katja's eyes widened immensely, but he remained composed while she stiffened in response to his question. Rogue noticed a look of rage contorted her features into an unpleasant expression, but she hesitated to attack. Instead, she gave him a menacing growl.

"I swear, if you hurt her I'll- !"

"KATJA!"

Rogue jolted in surprise as a winged mass of dark-purple fur barreled right into the side of Katja's head, halting her in the process of threatening him. He instinctively grasped the bicep of her right arm, which hadn't yet released him, to keep the woman from toppling backwards after the impact.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING KATE!?" Eve screeched in her shrill voice, "YOU'RE IN NO CONDITION TO FIGHT!"

Katja stared at the feline in bafflement as Eve lectured her about her injuries, as well as picking fights with people she doesn't know. Then, she went on a tangent about how the woman shouldn't have punched out that poor mage (Gray), who still lay unconscious on the ground.

"AND YOU KNOW I-… I… I'm just so glad you're alive!"

The Exceed seemed to give up on staying mad, which resulted in her collapsing against Katja's chest and crying uncontrollably. After Eve's tears began to fall, Katja snapped out of bewilderment and wrapped her free arm around the cat. Rogue saw she fought tears of her own, because her voice shook when she finally addressed her friend.

"God, I'm sorry! I am _so_ sorry, Eve…"

With that, Katja lost her composure and cried as well. He realized her diamond scales began to quickly recede, giving him the ability to gage the unnatural heat of her skin.

_She's running a fever_.

Rogue couldn't fathom how she still stood on her own at this point, especially when the small amount of support he gave would only be enough to keep her balanced.

He lost his train of thought when Natsu commenced to shout loudly from the other side of the clearing, walking towards them in the process.

"Hey Blondie! We ain't done here, I can't let Metal Head have _all_ the fun. C'MERE AND FIGHT ME!" He smashed both of his fists together, fire igniting with the motion.

"I'm all fired up…" Natsu grinned evilly, spewing flames as he approached.

Rogue tensed immediately. There was absolutely no way Katja could take on Natsu, now that her prior adrenaline had already dissipated. He didn't know this girl, but he _did_ know that most people wouldn't fare well in her present state. Thankfully, Natsu's blonde companion intervened by whacking him on the shoulder with her fist.

"ARE YOU INSANE!? Can't you see the condition she's in!?" The celestial mage, Lucy, was livid.

"Aww c'mon Luce~"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Man, you're no fun…"

"Shut up! There's food being served in the main tent, go get some before it's gone."

At the mention of food, Natsu and twenty other mages bolted in the direction of a large green tent located in the far corner of the campsite. Rogue sighed in relief when he saw most of the crowed had leaving in pursuit of a meal, but noticed Gajeel, Laxus Dreyar, Lucy, Sting, and the Fairy Tail guild master still remained. He saw Gajeel and Sting smirking at him simultaneously while wiggling their eyebrows suggestively, which he didn't understand until realizing that Katja still tightly gripped the front of his clothing, and he her upper arm.

After giving them both a dubious look, he moved to release her arm, only halting when he saw Porlyusica rushing towards them at high-speed. Rogue was about to say something, but in that moment the elder woman appeared behind Katja and proceeded to smack the taller girl on the back of the head, hard. The blow startled Katja, making her release her grip on him. However, he kept hold of her arm even after she let go.

"You fool girl! What are you doing out of bed!?" Porlyusica roared in fury, her eyes bright with rage. Katja just looked at her as if she's never seen the woman before in her life. Oh, wait.

"And YOU!" She said pointing at Gajeel, "You and that idiot fire-breather thought it wise to pick a fight with such an injured person!? This is why I detest humans!" Gajeel huffed in response to her lecture.

"C'mon old lady, I'm sure she's fine." Gajeel must still be mad about Katja attempting to decapitate him.

"JUST HOW STUPID ARE YOU?!"

The pink-haired woman was panting with exertion at this point, but regained her composure quickly. However, she became enraged again when Makarov grinned sheepishly in her direction.

"Damned old fool! You're telling me you just stood there and watched the whole thing!?"

When it came to Makarov, Porlyusica was even more abrasive than usual.

"Heh, heh. I thought it would be a good show!" His excuse was not satisfactory in the least.

"This girl has enough sedatives in her blood to kill a horse! Do you think _that _would make for a good show!?"

Rogue stopped paying attention to their argument when a large weight in his grasp suddenly dragged him downward. He looked below and saw Katja no longer standing, but on her knees with her legs sticking out from under her. His grip elevated her arm, but the rest of her body sat limp and shook uncontrollably. Eve failed to react, however, because said Exceed lay asleep against the girl's (large) chest, snoring lightly.

"Madam Por-". He tried to interject, but Porlyusica was too worked up to notice.

"You're supposed to be a Guild Master, yet you allow your "kids" to create chaos wherever they go!"

"Yes, yes. These brats are quite energetic aren't they?" Makarov smiled in such a way that only infuriated the healer more.

The two elder mages remained too occupied with each other to bother with the rest of them, so Rogue looked back to Gajeel and Sting hoping they would be of some assistance. Sting kept enthusiastically watching the elderly folks duke it out, but the iron dragon slayer took notice of his predicament and proceeded to alleviate the situation.

"HEY! OLD BATS!"

Porlyusica and Makarov halted their banter in order to give the large man a peeved look, but adverted their attention to Rogue and Katja when Gajeel jerked a thumb in their direction. The healer's eyes widened in alarm as she rushed over to kneel by the girl's side, taking her pulse and gaging her temperature as soon as she reached them.

"We need to get her back to the medical bay, now!"

Rogue was slightly alarmed at the urgency in her voice, but understood once he picked up the sound of Katja's slowing pulse.

Gajeel meandered over to the other side to help Rogue lift the woman, but just as they were about to start towards the tent, Lucy stopped them.

"Wait! Let me take Eve…" The celestial mage carefully dislodged the sleeping feline from under Katja's arm, and stepped away to let them pass once she completed the task. The two black-haired mages shifted Katja into a more accommodating position, then continued following Porlyusica back to the medical tent.

"Jesus, she weighs a ton. You actually carried her a whole mile by yourself?" Gajeel seemed surprised that Rogue actually possessed some physical strength. The younger man only huffed in response.

"I couldn't just leave her there, Gajeel." Which was true; Katja's chances of surviving in the chaos left by FACE and Tartaros were slim to none. Had he not found her by chance the other day, her death would have been absolute. Eve, while trapped in the small cage, would've starved to death at some point in that wasteland. He found them by sheer luck, and he only did so by following Katja's silent cries.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the taller man suddenly ruffled his hair.

"You're a good kid, Ryos."

Rogue's cheeks flushed as he grumbled something about Gajeel using his real name, while also feeling embarrassed by the sudden praise.

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><p>Once Rogue and Gajeel managed to heave Katja onto a cot in the medical bay, Porlyusica unceremoniously pushed the two dragon slayers out of the way in order to treat the unconscious woman. She quickly hooked the girl up to an IV and began moving about the tent while preparing various liquids to be used for injections.<p>

Rogue noticed Katja's skin beginning to pail at an alarming rate; her lips lost their color first, with her cheeks following suit shortly after. He also picked up the distinct sound of her heartbeat, which slowed with every passing moment. The anxiety in Rogue's stomach exploded tenfold when Katja's lips slightly tinted a bluish-purple in color, signifying the direness of her medical condition.

Gajeel definitely noticed as well, because he stiffened after glancing in the girl's direction.

"Hey old lady, I think you need to hurry it up over there." After he spoke, Porlyusica rushed over and roughly pushed them both to the side once again.

"Move you idiots! You're just getting in the way." The pink-haired woman wasted no time, injecting Katja with various substances while her forehead creased in concentration. Rogue glanced in Gajeel's direction to see whether he thought it best to leave, but was met with a suspicious look from the older mage instead.

"Where _exactly_ did you find this kid, Ryos?" Rogue decided to ignore the fact Gajeel called him 'Ryos' (again) in favor of answering his inquiry.

"Actually-"

"GET LOST YOU BRATS!" Porlyusica forgot they were still in the room, that is, until Gajeel opened his mouth. Now she hissed at them in annoyance, as if their presence hindered her work.

The two mages turned to leave, but stopped when Makarov swiftly entered the tent.

"Porlyusica, the Military Guard is outside _demanding_ we hand over any survivors whom lack affiliation with a guild for questioning. Have you any in your care at the moment?" Makarov's gaze was serious, but something akin to mischief flickered in his eyes.

"Yes, but she is not in any way fit to travel. Moving her will most likely result in her death, for she's barely alive as it is."

Rogue heard Katja's heartbeat resume to beat normally due to whatever miracle Porlyusica performed, but she was still unconscious and sickly pail.

Makarov made his way over to the cot and turned to the much taller healer, looking up at the woman as he did so.

"They may try to seize her by force…" His eyes darkened when he spoke, but Porlyusica's gaze remained unwaveringly defiant.

"Am I flinching, Makarov?"

In response, the guild master looked away from her and sighed, but a small smile played on his weathered face.

"Understood."

Following his curt reply, the smaller man formed a sign using his right hand and placed it over the up-turned wrist of Katja's left arm, muttering something intelligible in the process. The area around the master's hand began to glow, emitting a soft light, which disappeared soon after he ceased chanting. After removing his hand, Rogue, Gajeel, and Porlyusica clearly saw the maroon insignia of Fairy Tail covering the area of Katja's wrist where her veins previously showed through the skin.

"Now you owe me one…" Makarov smirked in the healer's direction, where she only 'hmphed' in response and turned back to check Katja over once again. Rogue was surprised, to say the least, but somewhat relieved since the girl seemed to be under Makarov's protection for the time being.

Gajeel, who silently watched throughout the whole scene, huffed in exasperation and exited the tent without another word. Rogue thought it best to follow suit, but Makarov stopped him when he started to move.

"We need to have a chat, you and I. Don't we young man?" he eyed the younger mage suspiciously, but a glint of amusement shone in his gaze.

"What do you mean?" Rogue wasn't sure just what the master wanted to talk to him about, but assumed it involved Katja. He knew as much about the girl as the rest of them, which translated to absolutely nothing. Bringing her here is the only thing he did differently after their random encounter- well, maybe it wasn't _quite_ random.

"You and I will have our talk once we reach home and rebuild our guild… for the third time." Makarov outwardly grimaced at the thought of the demolished building, along with the cost of reconstructing it.

"Sting and I must return to Lycoris and assess the damage to our own guild," Rogue countered. "Unfortunately, we do not possess the time to stay in Magnolia."

The master of Fairy Tail pondered the young man's words for a moment, but smiled up at him afterwards.

"Magnolia is on the way, besides, I doubt the third mage in your company will make it far with such injuries."

Rogue was confused to whom Makarov was referring, but it hit him like a ton of bricks after about five seconds.

Minerva.

It was true, she is unconscious at the moment and there's no telling when she will wake up. Her life isn't in danger, but the injuries she sustained combined with her now-demon body probably took a large toll. He mentally sighed when he realized there seemed to be no way around it.

Rogue relented after thinking it over, but he saw no getting out of this situation. Plus, they could easily contact Sabertooth with a communication lacryma once they reach the city.

"You will have to convince Sting…"

"It's decided then. We will depart for Magnolia tomorrow morning, after these capital buffoons clear out."

Makarov promptly exited the tent following their brief dialogue, leaving Rogue alone in the medical bay with Porlyusica and the mysterious (also unconscious) blonde dragon slayer.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Thank you sooo much for checking out this story, I know I'm useless when it comes to updates D: Anyway, the semester ends in less than a month, after which I will have about a month or so off (YAY!). I will be able to update more frequently then, so please bear with me! <strong>

**That being said, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and would greatly appreciate it if y'all could drop some REVIEWS for me :D I don't care what kind of feedback it is; comments, suggestions, questions, you name it! I just need something to go off of you know?**

**Thanks as always!**

**~ofthehallows**


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